Jordan Spieth Experiences Day Back in Time at Grapefruit Pro-Am

The calendar may show that it’s December 2015, but Sunday afternoon at Vero Beach Country Club looked a lot like, and felt a lot like, it was 1955. Jordan Spieth, the No. 1 golfer on the planet, was in town to play in the 70th Grapefruit Pro-Am, a tournament whose rich history includes the great Sam Snead and many others, and half the town seemed to turn out to catch a glimpse.

On a lazy Sunday afternoon along Florida's middle-east coast, this was a bonafide event. A happening. In weeks to come, Santa can only hope for half the welcome that Spieth received. Former Los Angeles Dodger Sandy Koufax, only the greatest left-hander to ever grace a pitcher’s mound, was there to say hello. (“It’s an honor,” Spieth said as he shook Koufax's hand.) Ivan Lendl, once the greatest tennis player of his time and a good-enough golfer to give the Champions Tour a run, was in the crowd to see Spieth hole out a wedge for eagle-2 at the 400-yard 13th hole. Yes, magic travels.

What did Lendl find to be the most difficult part of being No. 1 in his sport? “I don’t think it’s hard. Getting there is hard," he said. "I think it’s great once you get there. It’s much harder to get there than to be there.”

It was a cool snapshot to see Spieth, whose mature ways and level head make those watching him forget he’s but 22, step back into the Time Machine, to cordially embrace the many well-wishers – an estimated 1,500 lining fairways – who were seeking autographs and endless photos. He kept smiling, and seemed just fine with it all.

The crowds were six-deep as Jordan hit balls on the range at the Vero Beach Country Club on Sunday

Craig Dorch

“We’re just putting on a show,” Spieth explained as he made the turn. “Really, we’re putting on a show, and it’s unbelievable.”

Members and fans circled him in the middle of the tiny practice green at this 1924 club, and stood six-deep to watch him hit balls on the range, as Spieth alternated swings in a tight area with country singer Jake Owen, the Vero Beach native who brought golf’s Wonder Child here.
With fans forming a horseshoe behind Spieth in the fairways, it painted a scene of a time long ago, when the folks of St. Andrews turned up to watch Bobby Jones walk the Old Course, or when the members at Royal Dornoch kept filtering out into the fairways upon hearing that Tom Watson was testing his links game on their storied course.

With the gallery crowding in and around the 10th tee, Spieth’s first hole of the day, at 12:30 p.m., Owen turned to Vero Beach Country Club pro Randy Hedgecock and said, “It’s like ‘The Match,’ ” a reference to a famous golf match played at Cypress Point 60 years ago.

In a matter of seconds, Spieth showed how “serious” he would be taking this day. Hedgecock barely had introduced his name when Spieth opened with a running Happy Gilmore tee shot that found its way into a pond. Regardless, he smiled like a kid who'd just gotten a new bike. He would enjoy the day, and that made it all the more special.

Highlights From Jordan's 2015 PGA TOUR Season

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  It might have been Jordan’s first visit to Australia but not his first connection with Australia. His coach Cameron McCormack is from Melbourne and joined Jordan on the trip to Sydney

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  Starting off the day sharing the lead with Greg Chalmers and Brett Rumford, Jordan quickly pulled away from the Australians with the best round of the tournament — and his career.

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  Jordan sinks his birdie putt on 18 and celebrates his first title of 2014, becoming the first American to win the Australian Open since Brad Faxon in 1993, when the 21-year-old Spieth was four months old

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  Jordan holds the Stonehaven Cup, the trophy awarded to the winner of the Australian Open. Seeing that his name will go right under Rory McIlroy, last year’s Open winner, Jordan said, "If I had the follow-up year that Rory had this year, I'd be pleased this time next year”

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  Jordan flew directly from Australia to Florida for Tiger Wood's event at the Isleworth Golf & Country Club. The jet lag didn't seem to bother Jordan as he delivered a 26-under performance over the four days that earned him a 10-stroke victory over Henrik Stenson

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  Jordan's 26 under par total broke Tiger Woods’ Hero tournament record of 22 under in 2007. Jordan’s margin of victory also set a record at this tournament, and he was the first wire-to-wire winner

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  After the Hero World Challenge, Jordan said, “This caps off the best golfing year that I’ve ever had. Each year has been a little better than the last. Hope it continues in 2015”

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  Tiger and Jordan talk together at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Shooting a final round 65, Jordan would finish T7 at TPC Scottsdale

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  For the second year in a row, Jordan got to play with country superstar Jake Owen at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

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  Jordan was 16-under for the tournament and finished T7

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  Jordan had another Top 10 finish at the Northern Trust, barely missing a playoff after an aggressive pitch on the final hole.

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  Jordan got his first win of 2015 at the Valspar Championship. A clutch putt on the final hole put Jordan in a playoff with Patrick Reed and Sean O'Hair. He won the tournament with a 28-foot birdie putt on the third hole of the playoff

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  It was Jordan's second win in his PGA Tour career and fourth worldwide

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  Jordan is presented with his trophy after winning the Valspar Championship. Jordan became the fourth player since 1940 to win twice on the PGA Tour before his 22nd birthday

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  After Jordan's second place finish at the Valero Texas Open, Jordan moved to No. 4 in the Official World Golf Rankings

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  Jordan, the hottest player on the PGA going into the Masters, got into his second playoff and three weeks at the Shell Houston Open

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  After finishing T2 to Bubba Watson in last year's Masters, Jordan would get more than a green jacket at Augusta National. He would get redemption

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  He would also get a place in the history books by setting the 36-hole scoring record at the Masters

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  Jordan's full-swing flop shot off the 18th green captivated the gallery and media alike, allowing him to save par and maintain momentum. Joe Posnanski of the Golf Channel called it, "a shot that buckles the knees of every player of every skill level around the world." Read the story.
  

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  Jordan made 26 birdies, a Masters record, and was the first PGA golfer to get to -19 in a Major

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  In addition to his 36 hole scoring record, he also had the lowest 54 hole total and tied for the 72 hole scoring record. Jordan also became the first wire-to-wire winner in Masters history

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  "This was the ultimate goal in my golf life," Jordan said in his remarks to the members of Augusta National, patrons and media

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  Jordan reacts after making a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 1. Watch the putt.
  

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  Jordan hits his tee shot on the 15th hole.
  

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  Jordan watches a putt on the 12th green. Jordan started slowly on the front nine but the Masters champion compensated with a dramatic stretch, announcing his arrival with three straight birdies starting on No. 11 to put him squarely in the mix going into Friday. Read the story.
  

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  With his caddie looking on, Jordan reacts after his clutch par putt on the fourth green. For Michael Greller, a resident of nearby Gig Harbor, this was a Father's Day with special significance. 

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  With his third victory this year — fourth since embarking on his pro career in 2013 — Jordan will head to the British Open in St. Andrew’s, Scotland, in search of more history. Jordan's grand slam chances? As Ian O'Connor wrote in ESPN, don't bet against him.
  

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  The condition of the greens was a major topic of conversation on and off the course, but Jordan gives his respects to the grounds crew who worked relentlessly through the tournament.

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  Jordan follows up his hole-out eagle on 17 with a birdie on the final hole.
  

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  After taking his sand wedge and spinning it back into the hole for eagle on the par-5 17th, Jordan shares the crowd's excitement.
  

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  Jordan Spieth pats the back of Tom Gillis while walking off the 18th green after their pars on the first playoff hole.
  

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  Chad Everitt, Chairman of the Volunteer Board of the John Deere Classic, presents Jordan with the trophy during the final round of the John Deere Classic.

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  Jordan watches his drive from the second tee during his first round on the opening day of the 2015 Open Golf Championship on The Old Course at St Andrews. Conditions were perfect for low-scoring out on the Old Course on the first morning as play began.
  

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  Jordan plays out of a fairway bunker on the 5th hole.
  

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  Jordan reacts to his putt on the 7th green while Jason Day lines up his putt in the background.

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  Jordan acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green after missing a putt and a chance to join the playoff. 
  

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  Jordan lines up a putt on the first green. Jordan was first in putts per round during the four days at Firestone. He averaged 25.5 putts per round.
  

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  SHEBOYGAN, WI - AUGUST 14: Jordan Spieth of the United States lines up a putt on the 11th green during the second round of the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits on August 14, 2015 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
  

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  Jordan reacts to his birdie putt on the final hole. It capped a bogey-free round of 65 that vaulted him to second place behind Jordan.
  

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  Jordan and Michael celebrate a birdie on the 10th green.

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  Jordan watches his birdie drop on the 18th green. It would give him the outright tournament lead going into Sunday's final round.

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  Jordan gets a fist bump from Henrik Stenson after he sinks a 43-foot birdie putt on the 11th green.

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  Jordan walks up to the 18th green, two putts from a victory at East Lake.

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  Jordan celebrates on the 18th hole green as fans watch after his four stroke victory in the final round of the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.

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  Jordan poses on the 18th green with the FedEx Cup and TOUR Championship trophies.